Flying Homes And Floating Cities: How Billionaires Travel

In the early 1900s, John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV was thought to be among the richest people in the world, with a net worth of nearly $87 million when he died, equivalent to $2.21 billion in 2017. In April 1912, he was traveling back home to New York after holidaying in Egypt, accompanied by his wife. Naturally, he was the richest passenger on the RMS Titanic.

We’ve come a long way since the Titanic, and now the rich travel alone--and in unimaginable style.

By Plane

Clearly the most efficient way of transport for everyone, wealthy included, is by air. Nowadays, private-jet makers like Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Embraer are taking their offerings to new levels of luxury, technology, and performance.

At $66.5 million, the G650ER is Gulfstream's flagship product. It has a range of more than 7,500 miles, meaning it can complete flights across the Pacific Ocean.

Still, Mercedes doesn’t have the market cornered when it comes to luxury limousines. The entry-level price for the Rolls-Royce Phantom “for icons” is $400,000, with the most expensive model sold for $3.8 million.

By far the showiest form of ‘transportation’ that exists, is designed for wealth on water.

Modern yachts, one of the oldest badges of wealth, are not just for sailing or for the banal task of getting from one place to another. Today’s most expensive yachts boast swimming pools, helipads and VIP suites.

The most expensive yacht, the Streets of Monaco, is still under construction and will soon be unveiled. With a $1-billion price tag, this beast is the size of a small, floating city – complete with streets and famous Monaco landmarks such as the Monte Carlo Casino.

Oh, and it also features bullet-proof glass and a German missile defense system—just in case.

What could possibly be next?

That’s easy: Luxury space rides.

Leading giants like Amazon, SpaceX, Microsoft, Virgin Group, Google, and Facebook are all getting in on the action.

A study published last summer by Bloomberg profiled some of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs who've invested in space travel startups and technology innovations. There are a handful of companies at work on rockets fit for human travel.